William Dalrymple (29 August 1723 – 28 January 1814) was a Scottish religious writer, minister and Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1781.
[2] Dalrymple is chiefly remembered Robert Burns' satirical poem The Kirk's Alarm:[1] D'rymple mild, D'rymple mild, Though your heart's like a child, And your life like the new-driven snaw, Yet that winna save ye, Auld Satan must have ye, For preaching that three's ane an' twa.
The lines indicate that Dalrymple was accused of holding unsound views on the subject of the Trinity;[1] and the warm admiration which he expressed in the introduction to his History of Christ of a similar work on the death of Christ by his colleague Dr McGill exposed him to criticism when the latter publication brought upon its author a prosecution in the church courts for heresy.
[1] James Gairdner, writing in the Dictionary of National Biography, stated that "Such were, however, the simple piety, meekness, and habitual benevolence of Dr. Dalrymple, that he was universally beloved by his parishioners, and no active proceedings [for heresy] were ever taken against him.
[1] According to Gilbert Burns, when a schoolmaster at Ayr, while drunk, said disrespectful things of Dalrymple, the resulting outrage by the people was so strong that he was obliged to leave the place and go to London.